Cubanoson

Papo Ortega’s CUBANOSON NY’s Cuban Orchestra was founded in 2005 under the direction of Leonel “Papo” Ortega. He is a musically gifted composer and pianist who has had the honor of performing alongside many exceptional musicians such as Jose Fajardo, Chocolate Armenteros and Candido Camero. CUBANOSON combines the “Punto Cubano” and “Son Montuno”, bringing danceable Cuban music to its best. It brings together the talent and dedication from outstanding contemporary musicians to offer traditional Cuban music and a mixture of New York Salsa to take to the floor. CUBANOSON’s debut CD, “Recordando a Cuba”, was released in 2006. It was ranked in the 12 categories of the 2007 Latin Grammy Final Entry List and was named the #1 Son CD in England and Germany. The original hits “Cubanoson”, and “Recordando A Cuba” were a hit worldwide. They continue to be heard on radio stations around the globe via DJs, Radio Hosts of Satellite and commercial and noncommercial radio. CUBANOSON have been featured on GIANTS STADIUM, NJ, Westchester’s Emelin Theatre and many festivals in New York and New Jersey. They also opened the celebrations at the 9th Annual New York Salsa Congress. Since 2007, they have performed as a solo act at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC). The original Son Montuno sextets are still used, as well as the vocals and Tres Guitar. However, CUBANOSON has added a trumpet and piano to their repertoire, similar to Johnny Pacheco and Sonora Matancera, and a trombone to create a full brass band. CUBANOSON was fortunate to have the late Israel “Cachao”, Lopez join the band over the years. They also accompanied Joseito Mateo, Marcelino Valdes and Lalo Rodrigo. CUBANOSON has been a support act for many great artists, including Paquito D’Rivera (Eddie Palmieri), Milly Quezada, and Johnny Ventura. CUBANOSON performs regularly and hopes to travel internationally in the future. The repertoire of the orchestra was expanded to include Latin dance music in three languages: English, Spanish, and French. The music from their first CD can be found on two compilation CDs in Italy and the United Kingdom. In 2009, it was also included in a Cuban Dance Video made in Germany. CUBANOSON’s second CD was released in April 2010. It is called “RUMBA NUEVA”. Like the first, this CD has been called a DJ’s delight, dancers’ delight, and party CD. You will dance from the very first track to the very last. Rumba Nueva includes 7 original songs from CUBANOSON that offer danceable music in Spanish and English. The original song “La Fiesta”, which was released on this second album, was signed to a United Kingdom Compilation – Rough Guide to Salsa Series. It was also featured on ITUNES. Rumba Nueva’s last CD made it into nine categories on the Latin Grammy’s 2010 Final Entry List.

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